Blind Pathfinder
by TheElderOne
Summary: Struck blind, Naruto is left stumbling in the dark, searching for a light that never comes, but then a hand reaches out to take his right, and another takes his left. Kind, soft, stuttering words reach his ears, and Naruto replies cheekily to a tease. He hears another person walk to him, and the hands leaves his for a moment before he is snatched up in a motherly hug. He was home.
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, giving this a shot. Of course, I don't own any of these characters; Kishimoto does.**

_**Chapter 1**_

Naruto pouted over the paper set in front of him, cerulean eyes frustrated. He tapped his pencil on the desk, and he mussed his own blonde hair with a hand. Tests were his enemy, and Iruka had to just pop them up randomly. Naruto didn't study as it was; he was too busy gardening or pulling pranks. '_Speaking of pranks...'_ he thought, looking over to his usual accomplice, Kiba, his brown hair strewn all over his head. He was just as unprepared for tests as Naruto, and the two of them usually created pranks to disrupt the class.

Naruto scooted closer to him. "Hey, psst, Kiba," he whispered, watching Iruka at the front of the classroom, "Got anything to make this fun?"

Kiba grinned. "Always." He pulled out a few balloons filled with some colorful liquid. "Paint." Naruto grinned to match Kiba. Beside Kiba, a girl that Naruto knew as Hinata looked worried. She was already done with her test, and she poked her index fingers together nervously.

"I-I d-don't think th-that's a g-good idea," she stammered.

Naruto shot her a pleading look, and she blushed. "Aw, c'mon," he whispered, "we won't hit you. Just some of the other people." She put her head down, face still bright red, and Kiba sniggered as he passed half of the balloons to Naruto. "Alright. Three, two, one...FIRE!"

Naruto jumped from his chair and hurled a balloon at Sasuke, his rival and genius of the class. It missed and splattered bright pink paint all over the row in front of him. Kiba threw one, and it covered some of the girls in blue. By now, people were realizing what was happening, and they were ducking under the desks. Iruka was snorting like a furious bull, his ponytail green and the rest yellow. Naruto and Kiba were laughing wildly when they finished, paint everywhere except in their little space. Sasuke, his front covered in red, glared deathly at the two pranksters.

"Inuzuka, Uzumaki," said Iruka through clenched teeth, "What do you think you have done?"

"You just got got, Pineapple Head!" crowed Naruto, clutching his sides in laughter. Kiba laughed along with him, and Hinata couldn't help but giggle.

"Well, you fail the test," stated Iruka, trying to keep calm. He didn't succeed. "And you're going to WASH THIS WHOLE ROOM!" His temple pulsed. "And I'll grade what I can see." Sakura, the smartest girl in the class, was aghast, and she glowered over at Naruto who gave her an apologetic look. Iruka gathered up the papers, and he waved his hand. "Class dismissed for today while these two idiots clean up their own mess."

The class minus Naruto and Kiba filed out, and Hinata was the last to leave, glancing backwards at them. Iruka crossed his arms and frowned at them menacingly. "I hope you learn from this."

"Like the other five or six times we've done it?" asked Naruto, smiling. Kiba barked in laughter, and the small pup in his pocket, Akamaru, barked as well. "By the way, I think it's gonna take awhile for that paint to come out of your hair, but at least we all know you're a Pineapple Head!" He laughed again, and then a water-filled bucket and sponge were shoved into his hands and Kiba's.

"You're gonna stay here until you clean this up, got it? If I hear about you two leaving, you will be cleaning the entire Academy, top to bottom. Am I clear?" They nodded. "Good. I expect better from you. _Both _of you." Iruka left, and Naruto sighed.

"Man, I hate cleaning."

"Eh, I don't mind this," Kiba said, "Better than cleaning the kennels back home." They started to scrub away the paint and made slow progress along the wall. Naruto wiped a bead of sweat from his brow, and Kiba worked away at a particularly stubborn spot of paint. They heard a knock at the door and thought it was Iruka checking up on them, but then Hinata stuck her head in.

"Hinata!" shouted Naruto, waving a wet sponge and splashing Kiba, "How you doin'? You need something?"

"I-I wanted t-to h-help."

"Eh? What? Why?"

"W-well, wh-why not?"

"Why not?" repeated Kiba incredulously, "This ain't fun, y'know, even if it isn't as stinky as those kennels."

"H-helping i-is w-what f-f-friends are f-for," she stuttered, turning red and looking at her feet.

"You really want to help?" asked Naruto. She nodded. "Got your own sponge?" She held up one, surprising him. "Where'd you get that?"

"Th-the j-janitor's cl-closet."

Kiba grinned. "You stole it, didn't you?"

She fidgeted. "I-I b-borrowed i-it."

"Ha! Knew it! You stole it! We're getting to her, Naruto!" He elbowed Naruto and went back to scrubbing.

Hinata fidgeted again. "S-so, c-can I j-join you?"

Naruto shrugged. "Sure. Why not? We could use the help." She smiled and washed the wall beside him. Time passed, and there was one wall that paint remained on. Naruto examined it closely and then nodded to himself. "Y'know, I think we could leave it. Kinda looks good, don't it?"

"You know that Iruka-sensei would get mad if we left it," said Kiba, Hinata nodding in agreement, "Don't be lazy and get us in trouble." He and Hinata started to wash away the paint, and Naruto was crestfallen before he too began to wash. The aching in his arms was the reason why he didn't want to wash the last wall. That and this was boring. He looked over at Kiba, clutching a dripping sponge. Maybe he could make it not so boring.

"Hey, Kiba."

"Wha-gah!" He shook the water from his hair and glared at the blonde. "What was that for?"

"I was bored."

"Then how do you like this?" Kiba splashed water on Naruto but in the process also splashed Hinata. She gasped in surprise and splashed him back. Naruto also splashed him at the same time, and the small pup jumped from Kiba's pocket and bit at Naruto's ankle. "Yeah, get 'im, Akamaru!" cheered Kiba before getting splashed again by a giggling Hinata. "Gah! Stop it!" He got her back. Naruto splashed Akamaru, and the puppy ran back to Kiba and huddled behind his leg. "Hey! Don't hurt him!"

"I didn't! He was trying to eat me!"

"Maybe because you taste like ramen!"

"I thought dogs didn't like ramen!"

Kiba grinned. "Maybe Akamaru does." Naruto glared at him and splashed him. "Hey!" Both he and Hinata splashed Naruto. "Oh, yeah. Double team!" Hinata giggled, a light blush across her cheeks.

"No fair!" The battle last for several more minutes, and all of them ended up dripping wet and laughing. The wall was no cleaner than before, but they didn't mind and finished it with smiles on their faces. Naruto dumped the water from the window, making sure no one was below. They threw the sponges in one bucket and put it in the other. They left the room, Akamaru proudly marching out in front of them and Kiba toting the buckets. Akamaru barked at them to catch up, annoying Naruto.

"Kiba, why does your dog have to be so much like you?"

"What, awesome and unbeatable?"

"No, annoying and flea-bitten."

"Akamaru doesn't have fleas! And neither do I!"

"Then why do I always feel itchy near you two?"

"I don't know, maybe you're just fidgety. Or stupid."

"Hey! I'm not stupid!"

"Then why are you the Dead Last?"

"You're not much better," pointed out Naruto, "You're just above me." Hinata was watching the exchange like a tennis match, eyes going to Naruto and Kiba as they spoke. They argued until the janitor's closet was close, and Naruto opened it for Kiba who carelessly tossed the things into it. Naruto closed the door, and the two boys caught each other's eye and laughed suddenly.

"Wh-why are y-you l-laughing?" Hinata asked confusedly.

Naruto wiped his eyes and smiled at her. "No reason. Just the fact we argue over the tiny things, I guess." Hinata blushed, and Akamaru barked happily. They walked outside and realized just how late it was. The sun was close to setting, and warm light flooded the small courtyard in front of the Academy. Naruto frowned. "Sure is getting late. Hey, Kiba, can I go over to your house for a while?"

Kiba shrugged. "Don't see why not. Kaa-san loves you enough not to mind." Naruto cheered up. He had been to Kiba's house many times, and the clan didn't seem to mind him as long as he didn't cause trouble. The comforting and playful atmosphere was what he loved most, and all of the clan was closely knit.

"C-can I w-walk w-with y-you?" asked Hinata.

"Sure. Don't fall behind, though," Kiba said. They started off, and Naruto looked over at Hinata. He really didn't know her all that well except for the fact she was smart and quiet. He tried to think of a question, but it eluded him for a bit.

"So, Hinata?" he started, finally a question coming to mind.

"Y-y-yes?"

"What would you be doin' if this was a normal day?"

"W-well," she stuttered, poking her index fingers together again, "I-I w-would be tr-training w-with my f-f-father."

"Training? Really?"

"Mm-hm."

"What kind?"

"G-g-gentle F-fist."

"Huh?"

Kiba butted in rudely, "It's a clan thing with the Hyuugas. It's how they fight."

"Oh. Are you any good at it?"

Hinata looked down in shame. "N-n-no. M-my f-father s-says I-I sh-shouldn't h-have b-been b-born a Hy-Hyuuga."

Naruto's eyes bugged. "What? Why? Because you're not good at something?" She nodded. "That's stupid, and so is he!"

"Naruto," warned Kiba, knowing that Naruto did not fully realize who Hinata's father was.

"He is, Kiba!" He turned to Hinata, "You're a great person, Hinata! Don't listen your dad about that, listen to us. Even if you're not good at that Gentle Fist thingy doesn't mean that he can talk about you like that! No one can ever do that to someone!" Hinata was quiet, taking in his words. "Am I right?" She nodded uncertainly. He grinned and threw an arm around her. "Alright, that's the spirit, dattebayo!" She flushed.

"Th-th-thank y-y-you, N-Naruto-kun." Kiba grunted, and the Inuzuka compound came into view.

"Well, lookie there, we're nearly there," he commented, grinning at the others, "Care for a race?"

"Heck yeah!" shouted Naruto, "Last one there's a rotten egg!" He took off, Kiba hot on his heels. Hinata was bewildered until she realized she was alone.

"H-Hey! W-wait up!"

Naruto and Kiba were neck and neck twenty feet from the Inuzuka gate, and Naruto was pulling ahead bit by bit. "Ha-ha, Kiba! Can't beat me this time-whoa!" A black shadow shot out from the gate and tripped up the blonde. "Not again!" he cried, tumbling to the ground. He rubbed his head and peered at the thing that had tripped him up.

It was a pointy-eared, black male puppy about the size of Akamaru, and his eyes were a welcoming brown. His body was sturdy-looking and broad for a pup, and his snout was squared off. The pup licked Naruto's face and leaned back on his hind legs. Naruto smiled and scratched behind his ears. "Hey, Shiro. Glad to see you too, buddy." Kiba came over and grinned, and Akamaru popped out from his pocket and ran under the gate.

"Looks like Shiro strikes again. Little guy's a sneaky one, ain't he?" He helped Naruto up. "He seems to like you a lot."

Naruto chuckled. "He shows it by tripping me up all the time." Hinata came running up behind them, and she stopped and hunched over, breathing hard. "Hinata! I was wondering where you were. Did that little run really wear you out?"

"Y-y-yes. I-I c-can't r-run f-f-far," she answered, catching her breath. Shiro trotted over and looked up at her. "Oh? Wh-who is th-this?"

"His name's Shiro," replied Naruto and Kiba at the same time.

"Wh-why? H-he's bl-black."

Kiba shrugged. "I don't know. Mom named him, and she never makes sense."

"Better sense than you," said Naruto flatly, "Akamaru's white. At least her dog's named Kuromaru, and he's black." Kiba poked his tongue out at him, and Naruto grinned. "Can't admit it, can you?"

"Shut up."

Hinata laughed and crouched down to the pup. "H-Hello, Shiro," she greeted, holding her hand out to the pup. Shiro sniffed it, and he yapped and licked it. Hinata giggled and pet his head. "Y-you're c-cute." He nuzzled her hand and suddenly shot back underneath the gate, startling her. "I-I'm s-sorry. D-did I sc-scare him?"

"Nah. He's just like that," said Kiba, "Always running around and bein' dumb. Kinda like someone I know." He looked at Naruto meaningfully, and the blonde shoved him away playfully. Kiba chuckled, and Hinata smiled. She turned to leave.

"I-I g-guess I-I'll b-be g-going," she stuttered, waving as she left, "B-bye!"

"Bye!" yelled Naruto, waving his arm energetically. Kiba settled with a wave of the hand. "She's nice," commented the blonde, "Kinda quiet, though." The gate opened behind them, and they turned in unison to see the thunderous expression on Kiba's mother Tsume's face. Kiba froze in fear, and Naruto had a nervous smile on his face. "Eh, hi, Tsume-san. How was your-,"

"What happened at the Academy today?" she interrupted, "I want to hear it from you two." She crossed her arms menacingly. The resemblance between her and Kiba was striking, from the same shade of brown hair to the animal-like, slitted eyes. "I'm waiting." Naruto and Kiba exchanged looks.

"Uh," began Kiba, "Well, we pulled a prank with paint balloons-,"

"-but we stayed and cleaned it up!" finished Naruto, "We always do that!"

Tsume sighed. "I know, but this is the sixth time or something. I get tired of getting a message that says that my son and his pal got into trouble at school. Can't you get into trouble somewhere else that I don't hear about straight away?" They blinked. "I don't care that you get into trouble, just not at the Academy, okay?" They nodded slowly, and Tsume grinned. "Now go play while I get dinner in order." The two boys ran through the gate by her before Tsume could change her mind. "By the way, Naruto," she called after them, "It's just Tsume!"

They stopped in a small area behind the main part of the compound where most of the dogs slept during the day. The dogs there lifted their heads as Kiba tackled Naruto to the ground and started to wrestle. Kiba had the upper hand in strength and agility, but Naruto was more cunning. It balanced out, and the boys ended up scruffy and dirty. They separated, winded for a moment, and Naruto shook his head and flung sweat on Kiba. "Quit it!" he shouted.

"Oh, sorry 'bout that," apologized Naruto, "What should we play next?"

Kiba frowned in thought. "Hm...how about Ninja?"

"Alright, you count and I'll hide!"

"Hey, I wanted to be the Hider!" protested Kiba.

"Too late!" The blonde boy bounded away into the compound, searching for a hiding spot. He eventually settled for between a doghouse and the fence near the kennels. He could hear Kiba count up to twenty and then stop. Naruto squeezed himself tighter into the spot, and he heard grass rustling as Kiba drew near. He was absolutely still as Kiba checked in the corners, doghouses, and even behind the fence. Kiba frowned, and he left. Naruto sighed in relief.

"Aha!" cried Kiba, dashing back and toward Naruto, "Dog ears win again!" The blonde leaped up and sprinted away frantically. "You can't outrun me!"

"I can sure try!" Naruto ducked under a tree branch. He could hear Kiba gaining on him, and a wall of trees was fast approaching. The blonde didn't slow down, much to Kiba's confusion, as the trees got closer, and closer, and closer-

"Naruto! What are you gonna do?" shouted Kiba, trying to reach out and catch him, "You're gonna smack into the-," The blonde planted one foot on the trunk and ran up it. Kiba was stunned as Naruto flipped over him and landed facing him.

"Neener-neener!" he taunted before scampering away. Kiba was dumbfounded, but then he collected himself and chased after him. Naruto whooped as he loped through the compound, vaulting over obstacles. Dogs and clan members alike glanced up as he passed, and the members chuckled and went about their business. "Can't catch me, slowpoke!" he taunted again. Up ahead, a small black shape was racing toward him, and Naruto squinted.

He widened his eyes once he saw it was Shiro. "Whoa! Hey! No, no, no!" Shiro barked and crashed into Naruto, knocking him off-balance and to the ground. The pup licked Naruto's face cheerfully, and the blonde laughed and pushed him away. He felt someone tap him on the shoulder, and Kiba grinned down at him.

"Gotcha, slowpoke," he said victoriously before asking, "Shiro get you again?"

"Yeah," admitted Naruto, rubbing Shiro's belly, "Little guy can really hit you good. I can't seem to not like him, though." Shiro whipped around and nipped Naruto's hand. "Ow! Shiro, bad dog!" The pup gazed at him with innocent eyes, and Naruto hesitated but then sighed. "See?" he said, again rubbing Shiro's belly, "I can't hate 'im."

Kiba nodded. "Everyone at the compound likes him, but he won't bond with anyone from the clan. Kaa-san says that he's gonna be a great ninken, but if he doesn't bond..."

"What?"

"I don't know what. This is the first time something like this has happened," said Kiba, scratching his head thoughtfully, "Every dog we have bonds with someone at this age." He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe we'll give him away."

"Could I have him?" asked Naruto hopefully.

Kiba smiled. "I'm sure that Kaa-san would ask you first." A ringing sound echoed throughout the compound, and everyone including the dogs bolted toward the compound's main area. There, clan members were feeding the dogs raw meat and high-protein feed, and a large table was set outside. It was mostly laden with all kinds of cooked meat, but there were a few vegetable pots scattered across the table. Other clan members were setting up lanterns, twilight setting in.

"Otouto! Naruto-kun! Over here!" shouted Kiba's sister Hana, a pretty girl about six years older than them. She was sitting at the end of the table, off to the side of the head's chair, and Naruto darted over while Kiba hung back to feed Akamaru. She motioned to him to sit across from her, and Naruto plopped down into the chair. Hana's ninken were at her feet, full and sleepy. She smiled mischievously at the blonde. "I heard about today."

Naruto blushed and looked away. "Yeah, so?"

"And I want to say nice job! Up top!" She put her hand out for a high-five but snatched it away when Naruto tried to hit it. "Too slow!"

"C'mon, Hana! You always do that!" complained Naruto, pouting. She grinned and reached over to pinch his cheek. "Ow! Stop it!"

"Cheer up, Naruto-kun. You'll get there one day." Kiba came sat beside Hana, and he and Naruto waited until everyone was at the table. Tsume sat at the head of the table, her feet propped up and a leg of meat in her hand. She waved it languidly at the expectant clan.

"Well, why are you all starin' at me? Chow down!" She bit into the leg, and Naruto breathed in a few pieces of chicken, starved from playing. Dogs circled the table, gobbling up any scraps dropped or thrown to them. Most of the men had sake to drink, and the drunken laughter has loud. Tsume smiled and sipped her green tea. The boys and Hana each had a glass of lemonade. Something brushed the blonde's leg, and Shiro peered up to him with his innocent eyes. Naruto grinned and tossed him a leg bone.

The night winded down, the highly intoxicated stumbling off while singing with broken notes. Some of the less drunk helped to clear the table. Naruto chuckled and helped carry the dishes off to the large kitchen shared by the clan. He set them down next to a sink, a man with a scar running diagonally across his face nodding his thanks. Tsume, washing dishes as well, asked, "Naruto, could you go get Kiba-kun and tell him to come here?"

He nodded and went into commons area where Hana was tickling Kiba. Some of the elderly clansmen were exchanging war stories on threadbare couches, and young teenagers were poking at the fireplace embers, trying to set it alight. Children chased each other around the room. "Kiba!" called Naruto, "Tsume needs you." Kiba looked up, and he rushed off to the kitchen. Naruto went over and sat by Hana, and she started to tickle him as well. Naruto choked in laughter, and she stopped when Kiba returned.

"What'd Kaa-san want?" she asked.

"She wanted me to wash Akamaru and Shiro," he replied irately, "Darn dogs are hard to keep in one place. They like to be anywhere except where I want 'em."

"They're just pups," pointed out Hana. Kiba grunted, and she pulled out her headband and tied it to her forehead. The boys immediately straightened; she was going to tell them a few stories about her missions. She smiled as they gazed wide-eyed at her. "You want to hear a few stories?" They nodded. "Alright, let me tell you about the time my team was outnumbered fifty to one..." Naruto and Kiba were engrossed by her tale about her team nearly being defeated until she and her ninken had saved them all using a quadruple **Fang Over Fang.**

"Wow," whispered Naruto in awe, "You mean that spinny-spinny thing?"

Hana giggled and ruffled his hair. "Yeah, that spinny-spinny thing." Thunder rumbled outside, surprising her. She looked toward the windows set high in the wall. Storm clouds were barely visible against the darkening sky. "Huh. That storm snuck up on us, but I think we have time for another story, don't you?" They nodded enthusiastically, and Hana launched into another story, this one about her dangerous fight with a mercenary.

Kiba was frowning when she finished. "Where was your team?"

"They were fighting their own mercenaries, and we all got out alright," she answered before lightning flashed outside and rain started to pelt against the windows. "Oh! That's not good." Thunder clapped, and the windows rattled.

Tsume burst into the room. "Kiba-kun, Hana-chan, back to the house! Naruto, you've got to get home before this storm really hits!" She jerked the curtains across the windows, and the other members were already heading out. "You want me to take you home?" she asked Naruto, thunder cracking.

He shook his head. "I'll just run fast. I'll be fine." He ran to the door leading outside to the front gate and opened it. Puddles were already forming from the torrential rain, and wind was whipping the trees into a frenzy.

"Are you sure?" yelled Tsume over the rain.

"I'll be fine!" Naruto sprinted to the gate and unlocked it. He shut it behind him, hair already hanging low from the rain. He ran down the street, and lightning flashed and thunder roared deafeningly. The street lights were off, and window shutters were shut. Naruto was alone in the dark, lightning being his only source of light. His heart beat faster and faster as the thunderclaps increased in number and volume, and the wind seemed to push him back.

He took a turn, and lightning illuminated the outline of the Academy. Thunder boomed, and Naruto grimaced as rain blinded him. Lightning flashed again, and he stumbled over a rut in the road. He fell down, muddying his face and hands. He shook his head as he stood, and he started off again towards his house. A lightning strike crackled across the clouds.

Wind tore at his shirt, and he ran with lightning being his guide. Naruto stumbled again and caught himself, and his ears rung from thunder. He tried to shake the ringing away, but it was persistent. Thunder clapped again, and he quit with the endeavor and continued on. His feet landed in puddles, dirtying them. Thunder was now a steady, earsplitting roll that seemed to physically shake him.

He looked through the sheets of rain, and he saw the outline of his apartment as lightning flashed. He sighed in relief and slowed, reasoning that his clothes could not get any more drenched. He was only twenty feet from the apartment when his world exploded into bright, excruciating light. Naruto yelled in pain and fell down, pain coursing through his entire body. He couldn't move, his muscles locking up, and his eyes seemed to be burned into nothing but ash. Then he mercifully blacked out.

* * *

Kiba was listening to the constant drum of thunder and rain when a scratching at his door caught his attention. He frowned and got up to open the door. Shiro was outside in the hall, whining and shaking. Kiba furrowed his brow, and then the pup took off the hall. When Kiba didn't follow, he came back and ran back down the hall. Kiba suddenly understood and grabbed his rain jacket.

Shiro ran through the doggy door, and Kiba opened the door open into the pelting rain. He put his hood up, and Shiro squirmed under the gate and waited for Kiba to follow. "Shiro, was is it?" shouted Kiba. The pup ignored him and darted down the street. Kiba growled and ran after him. "Shiro! Come back!" Shiro eluded him as they ran down streets, always staying in sight but never in reach.

Lightning flashed ominously, and Kiba blinked rain from his eyes. "Shiro! Where are you going?" He continued to run after the pup, barks and intermittent lightning flashes leading his way. He rounded a corner, and he saw a heap of something in the road, Shiro nudging it with his nose and whining. Kiba's heart dropped as he realized that heap was Naruto, facedown in the mud. "Naruto!" Kiba ran over and rolled him over. Lightning flashed, and he gasped. Naruto's entire face was red and raw, and his eyes were closed and blackened.

Kiba quickly slung him over his shoulder, receiving a slight shock as he did, and he followed Shiro back to the Inuzuka compound. He unlocked the gate and rushed inside his house. He beat on Tsume's bedroom door. "Kaa-san! Kaa-san, wake up! Kaa-san!" Tsume opened the door sleepily, but then she saw Naruto's unmoving body slung across Kiba.

"Wha-what happened?"

"I don't know! I think lightning got him 'cause he shocked me when I picked him up!"

She cursed. "I knew I should've walked him home! Kuromaru!" Her ninken, a large black dog with an eyepatch, padded from her room. She moved Naruto from Kiba to him. "Take him to the hospital! Tell them that the Inuzuka clan leader will be there shortly!" She grabbed a jacket and headed to the door. "Kiba, stay here."

"What? No!"

"I said stay here!"

"No! He's my friend!"

"He's also hurt! You can see him when he's better." She ran out into the rain, heading to the hospital. When she arrived, Kuromaru informed her gruffly that they had him in surgery because of his eyes. They had been badly burned, and there was a chance that he had been rendered completely blind. With the surgery, that just might be avoided. She waited until they were finished, and she stayed with Naruto in the recuperation ward. She prayed silently for him, clasping his hand, before she sank back into sleep.

The sun was shining when she finally awoke. She looked over at Naruto who was sleeping peacefully. From last night, his face was completely healed, and his eyes were normal. His breathing was even and untroubled. She smiled; the surgery had been a success in her eyes. He fidgeted in his sleep, and Tsume stroked his hair motherly. A doctor walked in, and she stood.

The doctor smiled. "How did you sleep, Tsume-sama?" she asked.

"Fine. Did the surgery go as planned?"

"It did," assured the doctor, "but we won't know if it worked until he wakes up, but it's most likely that he'll need glasses from now on. I think he might not like the idea of that." She chuckled, and Tsume smiled as she pictured the hyperactive blonde with a pair of scholarly glasses. Naruto fidgeted again. "Oh, it looks like he's waking up."

Naruto opened his eyes, and Tsume noticed they had changed. They were now a light sky blue with no pupil or any kind of reflection. They were a solid color like the Yamanaka's, but a lighter shade of blue. She smiled as she grasped his hand. "Naruto-kun, how do you feel?" He blinked. She brushed the hair from his eyes, but he didn't acknowledge it.

"Ts-Tsume?"

"Yes?" She expected him to ask how he got here, how she got here, what had happened. She hoped that he would joke that his vision was now blurry, but he was glad to be alive. The doctor leaned over, a gentle smile on her face. "Yes, Naruto-kun?" repeated Tsume. His next words shattered her hope.

"I-I can't see," he said distraughtly, "I know my eyes are open, but I can't see!"


	2. Chapter 2

Tsume absently stroked Naruto's hair, the boy asleep for now. He had cried himself to sleep, and there was no way that she could have comforted him. The bright-eyed, optimistic boy had been struck blind, but now those eyes were closed serenely for the time being. It was mid-afternoon, a few hours after Naruto had first awakened, and she had called for a council meeting in an hour.

She sighed as she thought about facing the room full of politicians. It was always a power struggle for the civilians and an annoyance for the clan leaders. None of them particularly liked Naruto to begin with, and there were laws in place to prevent her from taking Naruto in. It was something about shifting the power balance among the clans, something she never understood. Each clan was dangerous in its own style, but any one clan could not stand alone even with Naruto. It would be a very short, bloody civil war. Surely no one could be that hungry for power.

Tsume sighed again, and she moved her hands to lace together in front of her. The next bit of political bull had to do with the Academy. Most people who had disabilities were never admitted into the Academy, and the few who were usually failed the exams. The most famous example of a disabled person actually succeeding as a ninja was Hayate with his weakened immune system, but there had never been a blind ninja. Not in Tsume's experience, anyway. Maybe there was a chance that the director of the Academy would allow him to stay.

Naruto would fall apart if he knew there was no hope for him to ever be a ninja again. And Tsume could not let that happen. He was a close friend of Kiba, and she knew if she did nothing, Kiba would never forgive her. Nor would she ever forgive herself. Naruto was a sweet, if a bit mischievous, child that no one bothered to protect, and she wanted to change that.

There a knock at the door, and the doctor stuck her head in. "Naruto has visitors, Tsume-sama. Can they come in?" Since Naruto had been submitted under her authority, Tsume technically had the power to block visitors, but she never thought of it.

"Yeah. Bring them in." She opened the door, and Kiba and a girl Tsume recognized as the Hyuuga heiress walked in. Kiba was fidgety with anxiety, and the heiress's face was pinched in worry. Tsume stood from the chair beside the bed, and the girl took it. Kiba stood beside her and regarded Naruto worriedly. Akamaru poked his head from Kiba's pocket and whined lowly.

"How is he, Kaa-san?" asked Kiba.

For a moment, she couldn't bring herself to say it. She could see their reactions of disbelief and sorrow, and Kiba's accusing look. She took a deep breath. She would endure. "He-he's blind. His retinas and optical nerves have been permanently damaged. The doctor says that-" her voice caught, "-that there's no hope for him to ever recover his sight. The surgery last night was all that they could do." The girl covered her mouth in shock, and Kiba was speechless, his eyes wide. Tsume couldn't meet his eye. "I'm sorry, Kiba-kun. I should've went with Naruto-,"

"It's not your fault, Kaa-san," he said, "Naruto was stubborn about it, and you know how he was."

"Is," corrected the girl, "D-don't t-talk as i-if he's ch-changed, Kiba-kun." Kiba was surprised for a moment, but then he nodded.

"Sorry, Hinata." Tsume smiled; at least Naruto had loyal friends. She turned to leave, but Kiba had something to say to her. "Kaa-san...will Naruto be a ninja if he's blind?" She stopped, and she looked back at her son, a tired but determined spark in her eyes.

"I don't know, but that's what I going to fight for right now."

* * *

The council room was a cacophony of raised voices, and Tsume sat in her seat between Shibi Aburame and Hiashi Hyuuga. The entire Civilian Council was present, which was unusual. Usually a few tried to excuse themselves, stating that they had important business matters to attend to, but not today apparently. All of the clan leaders, the Shinobi Council, were present, but then it was mandatory for them to attend every meeting.

The room was arranged like an amphitheater, a space separating either council. They faced each other across it. A seat at the front of the room belong to the Hokage, who was not present yet, and a podium stood at the center of the space between the two councils. Tsume would soon have to present her case to the councils, primarily to the Shinobi, on that podium, and she was not a good orator. Or at least she thought she was.

Tsume blocked out the voices, wringing her hands. Her stomach was twisted into several knots, and whatever space left was filled with butterflies. Now that the moment was upon her, her nerves were stretched to their limit, and her mouth was dry. Her feet pitter-pattered on the floor. She breathed in to steady herself, and then the Hokage walked into the room.

Instantly, everyone was silent, all eyes on the old veteran. He took his seat at the front of the room, and he surveyed the councils. "Is everyone present?" he asked.

A representative from the Civilian Council stood. He was a burly man in his late-fifties with graying hair and beard. He nodded. "Yes, Hokage-sama. All of the Civilian Council is present." Hokage showed no surprise besides a small lift of his eyebrows. He looked at the Shinobi Council, and Shikaku Nara rose.

"All of the Shinobi Council are here as usual," he drawled, "Now can we exactly know why this meeting was called? It was kinda sudden."

The Hokage nodded and looked to Tsume. She took another steadying breath and took the podium in the center of the room. Both councils fixed their gazes on her, some disapproving because of her clan, others expectant, and more bored. "I called this meeting today," she started, her strong voice hiding her tension, "to discuss what happened to Naruto Uzumaki last night." This grabbed the entire Shinobi Council's attention, and a few of the Civilian Council leaned forward with inscrutable expressions.

"During the storm last night," she continued, "Naruto was heading home after being at my clan's compound for a few hours-,"

"Why was he there?" demanded Fugaku. He was cowed into silence with a glare from the Hokage, and he looked away, biting his lip.

"I offered to walk him to his apartment as the storm grew worse, but he refused. What happened to him on the walk back was unforeseeable." She gripped the podium. "He was struck by a lightning, and one of our ninken and members found and brought him back. I ordered my own ninken to take him to the hospital, and there he underwent surgery on his eyes which had been badly burned."

"Now just who's paying for this?" demanded one of the Civilian Council before being shushed by his companions.

"It was paid entirely by my own clan, to answer Daiki's early question. The next morning, I learned the results of the surgery." She met everyone's eye. " His retinas and optical nerves had been damaged too far to ever be repaired. Naruto Uzumaki has been struck blind, and I want to take him under my custody." There was immediate uproar from the Shinobi Council, the loudest protestors being Hiashi and Fugaku. The Civilian looked more confused at the protests, but a few, the same few with inscrutable expressions, had a knowing look in their eye.

There was a flare of chakra from the Hokage, and the protests stopped. The Hokage sighed and drummed his fingers on his chair. "So it is that type of matter." He looked over at the Civilian Council. "I dismiss the Civilian Council. There is no need for you to be here." The inscrutable few narrowed their eyes but dared not to argue. The Civilian Council filed out, but then one turned before he left.

"Hokage-sama, be wise in your decision. This may hold more than you think." With that cryptic message, the man was gone, leaving the Shinobi Council puzzled. Tsume's brow furrowed; obviously the man knew more about Naruto than a civilian was supposed to know, but he didn't seem to be hostile. He seemed to be warning them. Ironic, considering he was a civilian.

The Hokage frowned, but then he returned his attention to the Shinobi Council. "Now that it is a military decision, my advisors must be present." An ANBU appeared kneeling in front of the old man. "Fetch Koharu and Homura." The ANBU nodded and vanished. "If Tsume-san is willing, this time could be used for questions," suggested the Hokage, "Are you willing, Tsume-san?"

She nodded. "I am, Hokage-sama."

Fugaku jumped to ask the same question from earlier, "Why was Uzumaki, who we all know to be the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi, at your clan's compound?"

"He was playing with my son, Kiba, and stayed for dinner."

"So he already has relations to the Inuzuka clan? Isn't that illegal?"

"It's only illegal if the clan takes custody of Uzumaki," pointed out Shikaku, "which is exactly what you want to do, Tsume. You know you can't."

She nodded. "I was hoping you could make an exception."

"Absolutely not," said Hiashi flatly, "The law was made for a reason, and that reason is the balance of power."

"Which is complete bull," shot back Tsume, "Naruto has no control of the Kyuubi inside of him. He poses no threat to the balance. Besides, if the Inuzuka were to mount a coup using Naruto, it would be a very short coup as we'd be slaughtered. It makes no sense."

"Says anyone hungry for power," said Fugaku, "And who says that you can't teach him to control the Kyuubi?" His eyes were shifty at the word 'coup', but his voice betrayed nothing.

Tsume almost laughed. "Fugaku, you're talking about the monster that attacked the village eight years ago. There's no possible way any one person could control it feasibly, and if there is a way, I don't know it. I'm not hungry for power. I don't want to be killed." He was silent, and Inoichi started to ask a question when Homura and Koharu entered.

"Why were we called, Hiruzen?" demanded Koharu, an elderly woman with a wrinkled face. Her gray hair was done up in a bun. "The ANBU offered no explanation."

"This matter pertains to Naruto Uzumaki," answered the Hokage shortly.

"The jinchuriki?" said Homaru, a bespectacled old man with wild, gray hair.

"Is there anyone else?"

His advisors ignored the sarcastic statement and stood beside the Hokage. They glanced over at Tsume on the podium. "Why Tsume speaking?" asked Homura. The Hokage quickly summarized what happened to Naruto, and by the end of it, both were shaking their heads. "Clan custody of the jinchuriki cannot happen. It upsets the balance-,"

"Would you stuff it with the 'balance' crap already!" snapped Tsume, "I can't teach Naruto anything about being a jinchuriki or how control the damn Kyuubi, and the Inuzuka clan has no goddamned intention to take over the village. It's nuts!" This surprised the two advisors, and their mouths hung open for a moment before they shut them. "Before you use whatever screwed up political maneuvering," she cut in before Koharu could object, "let me offer a compromise."

"And that would be?" asked Inoichi, "I was wanting to ask you this."

"I become Naruto's legal guardian, and he stays at the compound. He will not be living in the pack..._clan _leader's house, but instead in an apartment building that houses the other clan members. I also submit to monthly interrogations by the Yamanaka, and the Aburame can plant bugs in the compound to monitor me or Naruto." She paused. "I would also like to give him a ninken."

Fugaku had hung onto one word. "Daily interrogations," he said with a scowl.

Inoichi shook his head. "We have priorities besides interrogating an innocent clan leader-,"

"She's not innocent-,"

"Besides, it would be too much of a strain on our ninja to perform daily interrogations on a strong mind like Tsume's."

"Then switch them out," said Fugaku stubbornly.

"Our ninja are valuable as it is, Fugaku. With all due respect, we're more important than the Uchiha in this regard. I'm more knowledge than you." He drummed his fingers on his arms. "I'm personally fine with the monthly interrogations, but if it were to lower, the minimum would be two weeks."

"And planting the bugs is an easy matter," stated Shibi quietly, "That costs almost nothing."

"I want a clear stand on the interrogations," said Tsume, "I think the Shinobi Council should vote." The seven clan leaders nodded. There were eight on the entire council, but one would always be at the podium, leaving seven to vote so there would be no draw. The clans represented were the Uchiha, Inuzuka, Aburame, Hyuuga, Nara, Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Sarutobi.

Tsume knew the positions of at least two, and if one of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans agreed on something, usually the rest agreed also. The Uchiha wanted biweekly questionings, and she suspected the Hyuuga wanted the same thing. The two dojutsu clans, while constantly at each others' throats, were identical in thinking. The Aburame and Sarutobi were the swing votes. She cleared her throat, "Raise your hand if monthly interrogations are appropriate."

Shibi Aburame raised his hand, as did Chouza Akimichi and Inoichi Yamanaka. To her surprise, Shikaku Nara and Masashi Sarutobi didn't move. Shikaku received odd looks from his long-time friends, but he shook his head. Tsume bit the inside of her cheek. "So the vote of monthly interrogations is no, three to four. Can I ask if the majority is supporting biweekly interrogations?"

"I am," said Fugaku, glaring at her. The others nodded, and Shikaku explained his decision.

"I don't have anything against you, Tsume," he said, "but I think biweekly interrogations are necessary though I might bring forward something else: the biweekly interrogations should only last four years, and after that, if Tsume here has committed no wrongdoing, stop the interrogations altogether."

"Are you crazy, Shikaku?" demanded Fugaku, "If you tell her that, she can unfold her plans after we stop-,"

"Plans that we would know about," countered Inoichi, "Our jutsu looks into the person's mind and subconscious. We would know instantly of any kind of plan or ill intentions."

"He has a point," rumbled Chouza, a big man with long, shaggy red hair. Shikaku nodded.

Fugaku threw up his hands in frustration, and Hiashi stepped in. "What is keeping another Inuzuka member from manipulating Naruto?" he asked simply. Tsume glared at him, but he kept his face clean of emotion.

Koharu nodded. "That was what I was thinking. I want to add another stipulation: one random shinobi of the Inuzuka clan will be interrogated alongside you."

Tsume paled. She had not been expecting that. "I would have to consult the clan for that decision," she said, "This affects them directly-,"

"But are you not the clan leader?" asked Hiashi, "Shouldn't you decide for them?"

"Maybe you would, Hiashi, but my clan isn't a neat, little row of machines," she shot back, "I only make general decisions, but this is personal to all of the clan. Give me three hours after this meeting and I can give you an answer." Hiashi had narrowed his eyes threateningly, but he conceded. Koharu regarded her cryptically before she nodded.

"That is acceptable." The elderly lady looked at the council. "How many are in support of this stipulation?" It was the same result as before, the Aburame, Yamanaka, and Akimichi siding with her and the Hyuuga, Uchiha, Nara, and Sarutobi siding against. Koharu nodded. "So this stipulation is needed for council support."

"Is that all for the interrogations?" asked Tsume, getting tired of the topic and frustrated at the added conditions. Fugaku obviously wasn't satisfied, but he kept quiet. The rest of the council nodded. "Alright, about the bugs-,"

"As I said already," said Shibi, a note of irritation in his voice, "that is nothing as along we are given free range. I give you my utmost word that nothing but any sign of misdoing will be reported. Nothing else." Tsume smiled. She believed him. The Aburame never went back on their promises. Their word was unbreakable. The vote was unanimous for it.

"Does everyone agree?" Nods all around the council. "The next item is his living arrangements. He will not stay in my house, but he will stay in the apartment building meant for other clan members. Is that agreeable?" More than half of council nodded absently; his living arrangements were the least of their worries, but Tsume didn't want to push her luck by letting Naruto live with her house. The vote was five to two for it, the Hyuuga and Uchiha being the opposition.

"Then let's move to the final part of my compromise. I want to give Naruto a ninken."

"Why?" asked Masashi Sarutobi, speaking for the first time in the meeting.

"I hope that he will feel more accepted in the clan if he had a ninken," she explained, "though he will not be able to use any of the clan techniques. Only Inuzuka can. Besides, the ninken would aid him in his blindness by acting as a guide dog." Masashi leaned back, content with her reasons, and she looked to the other members. Seeing no other questions, she took a vote. It was five to two for it again, and again the Hyuuga and Uchiha were against it.

She took a breath, preparing to reiterate the reforged plan. "So I become Naruto Uzumaki's legal guardian under the conditions of a four-year period of biweekly interrogations lasting of myself and one random Inuzuka shinobi, which is awaiting clan approval-," There were nods. She suspected that Inoichi and Chouza inwardly disagreed, but they were outnumbered and so kept quiet. "-and my compound is to be bugged by the Aburame." Again, nods. "Naruto also is to stay in the apartment building in the compound-," Nods. "And he is also to receive a ninken." Nods. "So the majority of the Shinobi Council agrees to this plan?"

"Yes!" said Shikaku exasperatedly, "Get a move on already, Tsume. Politics doesn't suit you."

"Just getting complete confirmation, Shikaku," replied Tsume briskly. The nervousness, which had mostly disappeared under the frustration of dealing with the council, resurfaced. She turned to the Hokage who had been silently listening to the decision-making. "Do you, Hokage-sama, approve of it?" Any decision or law the Shinobi or Civilian Council put forth required his approval. He was the one of the last major hurdles in Tsume's path.

He let out a long breath, and he studied each council member. "Is the only matter awaiting approval dealing with the one random Inuzuka shinobi?" The council nodded. "And this has council support?" He knew the answers to both, but he was making sure that there was no hesitation. And there was none. He looked back at Tsume. "As long as your clan approves, I will carry this plan out."

Tsume nearly fell in relief. "Thank you, Hokage-sama. That is all." She stepped down from the podium and took her seat. Her heart was thrumming loudly, and she couldn't stop her hands from shaking. This was her first case brought forward to the Shinobi Council, and though it had gone reasonably well, she still couldn't control her shot nerves. She balled up her fists in her lap as the Hokage spoke again.

"Is there anything else the Shinobi Council would like to present?" No one moved. "Since there is no other case, I adjourn the meeting." All of the council except for Tsume walked out, and she stood in front of the Hokage and advisors and bowed her head respectfully.

"Hokage-sama, could you summon the director of the Academy to your office as soon as possible?" she asked. The director, while he did answer to and obey the Hokage, decided independently whom was accepted into the Academy. It would be entirely his choice if Naruto could be placed back into the Academy, and chances were that the kid would not be. Tsume could, however, talk him into testing the blonde. She would never get anywhere with the idea of a blind child being accepted without question.

The old man nodded. "I will. I will send a messenger to tell you the time." He rose from his seat, and he and his advisors left, leaving Tsume alone. She turned to face the empty seats and fleetingly wondered at how impressive it looked. And the Hokage had power over it. He would have an entire view of the room and total attention at his word. It was amazing once she thought about it.

She scrunched up her nose. She preferred her view at the Inuzuka dining table.

* * *

Tsume sat on the small couch on the side of the Hokage's office. The Hokage himself was sitting at his desk, glasses perched on his nose as he scanned papers. He had already sent for the director, and he was due in a few minutes. Tsume had called for Kuromaru during the wait and told him to gather all of the Inuzuka clan that could attend in the courtyard and she would speak at whatever time she could. The meeting had ended at four. It was four-thirty right now, and she hoped that this meeting would take less than an hour. That would give her an two hours or less to address the clan and meet the time limit the council had given her.

She bit her lip. She was cutting it close. Why hadn't she asked for more time?

She had also visited Naruto in the short time between the council meeting and this one. Kiba and Hinata were still there, sitting loyally at his bedside. The blonde had been asleep when she walked in, but now there was a soft smile on his face. She smiled as well and brushed a few strands of hair from his eyes. She told Kiba of the interrogations.

He was aghast at first, but then he straightened, a fierce look in his eye. "I'll do it, Kaa-san! And the rest of the clan better do it too!"

"It's not up to you, pup," she'd said, "It's up to the entire clan. And you're not a ninja yet."

"They better still do it! Naruto is like a member of the clan, of our family! They can't let him down." Naruto stirred at his raised voice, and Hinata shushed Kiba. The blonde blinked open his eyes, and he was silent for a moment. Tsume came over and took his hand. He squeezed it.

"Ts-Tsume?"

"I'm here for you, Naruto-kun."

"Wh-what's gonna happen to me?"

She smiled even though he couldn't see it, and kissed his forehead. "I'm hoping to become your guardian very soon."

"Guardian?"

"I'll be your favorite aunt," she'd explained, "or maybe your Kaa-san."

"R-really?"

"Yes, really."

He'd gulped, tears coming back into his eyes. "C-can I call you 'Kaa-san' like Kiba?"

"Of course, pup."

He had choked back a sob and held up his arms awkwardly. They hugged, tears staining Tsume's flak jacket, and he had whispered into her ear, "Thank you, Kaa-san." She laid him back down gently, a smile on both of their faces. With a final squeeze of the hand goodbye, she left, and Hinata took back his hand.

In the office, Tsume smiled the same one when she had hugged him. That was the reason she was so protective of him, why she was willing to go so far for him. He was a child, an innocent, caring child that deserved better than a cold shoulder by most of the village. A child that needed a good home, a good family, and a good future. He was her child, and she would do anything to protect him.

There was a knock on the door, and she stood to open it. The Academy director stepped in. He was man in his early forties with a sharp, piercing gaze and stern jaw. Gray streaked through his short black hair and beard. Glasses sat on top of his broad nose. He glanced at Tsume. She stood and shook hands. She looked at the Hokage. "Hokage-sama, can we use your chairs?"

"Seeing as I have no other appointments today, yes."

Tsume pulled the two red armchairs in front of the Hokage's desk to the side of the room. She sat, and the director sat across from her. "Do you know why you've been summoned?" she asked.

"No," he said, his voice no-nonsense and deep, "but I can guess. I've heard that Naruto Uzumaki, the jinchuriki, is now blind. Seeing that I would be reluctant to accept a blind student, you want to persuade me to keep him enrolled." He leaned back, fingers intertwined. "Your little scheme won't play out like you think. Persuasion will not work, and our location will not help you either. That decision is mine and mine alone."

Tsume was quiet. "You know an an awful lot when the meeting discussing that was only thirty minutes ago."

"I knew about him this morning, Tsume-san. You'd be surprised how quickly information comes to a person of my position." It said to be factual, not in bragging. His sharp eyes regarded her. "I was debating what to do with him when your message came. Just keep in mind that the final decision is mine." He looked over to the Hokage. "And that he can't interfere."

"I know that, Orito, and I wasn't going to try to persuade you using the my position or the Hokage."

"The latter of which she would find impossible," said the Hokage.

"No, I was seeing if you would agree if I were to take Naruto out for a three-month period and train him. Then at the end of the three months, you test him and let him rejoin his old class if he passes."

"I would still be reluctant to accept him-,"

"If a civilian passes a placement test," cut in the Hokage without looking up, "then you cannot turn him away if he is willing, blindness be damned. It is the law."

Orito sighed. "Yes, I know, Hokage-sama. I just doubt he will pass." He stood suddenly. "If that was all, we should've talked in my office. I'll send the necessary papers with someone later." He turned to leave, and Tsume blinked. Was it really that easy?

She voiced her feelings. "J-just like that?"

He stopped and looked back. "Yes, just like that. Hayate passed the placement test with his weak immune system, and now he instructs ANBU in kenjutsu. Imagine if that kind of talent had been turned away. Only talented cripples or disabled children are brought into the Academy. If Uzumaki passes the test, he stays. If not, he doesn't."

"The academics-,"

"Are a complete waste of time. The test only judges taijutsu and ninjutsu. I don't care about the academics. The academics are worthless, but it gives the ones who don't pass the Genin Exam a basic education. Besides, Uzumaki has never been a good student." He chuckled, the first one she had ever heard out of the serious man. "The little rascal." Then he was gone.

Tsume scratched her head in a mix of confusion and relief. "Well, that was easier than expected."

The Hokage snorted and flipped over a page. "Orito wouldn't have come if he thought you were going to ask the impossible. If you have a meeting to discuss something with him and he shows, chances are he already agrees."

* * *

Tsume arrived back at the compound at fifteen minutes after five. As she opened the gate, she could hear the murmurs and shuffling of a crowd of people in the courtyard. Her stomach again tied itself into knots, and butterflies invaded it as well. She repressed them and walked through another gate that led directly to the courtyard. The backs of everyone were to her, but then they turned and parted as she walked to the front. There was a stage there, usually reserved for children's plays or an old storyteller. Rarely had she used it for an announcement. Rarely had there been a decision that impacted the whole clan.

She jumped onto the stage and turned on a heel to face the clan. She jammed her hands into her pockets, giving off a relaxed air. Inwardly, it was quite the opposite. "My pack," she began, her words ringing in the air, "I have terrible news. Some of you may know already, but Naruto Uzumaki, a friend to all of the clan, is now blind because of last night's storm." There was a collective gasp among the youngest and oldest members, but a few of the ones near Tsume's age nodded gravely. "He is recovering at the hospital, but he has no one to take care of him. No one to rely on. When he goes home tonight, he will cry himself asleep. Again."

There were a few whispers amid the silence, and one of the elders stepped up. "Can't we offer him a home here at our compound? Can't we do anything about that? He's such a benevolent spirit. He doesn't deserve that."

Tsume nodded, her heart lifting. Without her prompting, they had stood up to give Naruto a home. "Yes, we can," she said. All moved closer to hear it. "I met with the Shinobi Council-," At this, several of the older members raised their eyes to the sky. No true Inuzuka liked politics, and the clan leaders had a history of being terrible politicians. Tsume was the best to come along though she didn't understand why. "-and I worked out a plan."

"Naruto can stay here in the apartments, but there are two important conditions that involve the clan. First, the compound will be bugged by the Aburame. Don't worry about that, however. I have the Aburame clan leader's word that nothing beyond misdoing involving Naruto will be reported. His word, mind you." All of whom were ninja smiled; the Inuzuka worked closely with the Aburame and knew their word was worth its weight in gold. "The second condition is what I'm worried about."

"In order for him to stay, I have to undergo interrogations with the Yamanaka every two weeks, and I won't be the only one." She gazed out over the crowd sadly. "One random Inuzuka shinobi will also undergo it with me. It was not what I wanted, but I, the Yamanaka, and the Aburame were outvoted. This condition is waiting your approval." Looks were exchanged, and Tsume took a moment to study the crowd.

There were maybe fifty in total, and a little more than half were ninja of all ranks. The rest were children or the elderly, too young or old to be questioned. They would be in favor of taking in Naruto, but Tsume was more anxious to hear what the ninja had to say. If the clan was divided over the decision, the ones against it would simmer for years. Whether or not they would act on those ill feelings was beyond her. If so, it'd most likely be a challenge to her leadership, whoever trying to replace-basically kill-her evicting Naruto. With that unsettling thought in her mind, Tsume waited for an answer.

Murmurs rose and fell, and she could spot adamant looks in the swath of faces. There were a few shakes of the head, and she crossed her arms, biting her lip. A sudden movement caught her attention, and Hana, Kiba, Hinata were cutting through the crowd, pulling someone along behind them. Tsume's eyes widened as she realized it was Naruto, staring straight at Hana's back. They came up onto the stage, and Tsume frantically whispered to her daughter, "Hana, what the hell are you doing?"

Hana ignored her, and she leveled a fiery gaze at the crowd. "I've been standing where you all are now, and I heard whispers saying that we shouldn't take care of Naruto. I saw your stubborn, uncaring faces like an ugly scar. I felt the uneasiness in you like the rough waves in the ocean. If I know one thing, it's that the Inuzuka aren't like this, aren't uncaring or hesitating about things. Maybe, if Naruto can speak for himself, that can settle the matter."

She gently nudged Naruto in front of her, and his eyes looked out blankly back at the crowds. "H-Hana-nee-chan, we're on the stage in the courtyard, right? That's what you said, right?"

"Yeah, Naruto-kun, you're at the stage."

"I hear a lot of people." His tone was confused and lost, and many at the front saw his glassy eyes. "How many are here?"

"The entire clan, Otoutou."

"Oh!" He straightened up, blinking reflexively, "I'm sorry! I didn't know-,"

"It's alright, little one," said one of the elders.

Naruto frowned and turned his head in her direction. "Is that you, Asaka-san?"

"Yes, it's me." His face lit up.

"Is Fusa with you?" he asked eagerly. There was a bark, and he laughed. "That's Fusa, I think." He turned back to the general direction of the murmurs. He shuffled from foot to foot uncomfortably. "Well, I-I don't know what to say. I-I wouldn't have much to say if I did know."

"Just say what you think, little one," said Asaka.

"What I think," repeated Naruto quietly, "What I think is that I can't think of any other place besides here that's ever felt like a home. I eat here, play here, even sleep here as much as I can. If I'm sent back to my old home, even though it doesn't feel like home, there'll be stairs I can't get over 'cause I can't see them." He laughed, and a few in the crowd also laughed. His face became serious again. "But if you let me live here, I don't have to worry about anything, and not just stairs. I won't have to worry about food, if I'm safe, or if my stuff is going to be gone when I get home. I can live and be happy, because...well, you're my family." Tears fell from his still eyes. "Pl-please don't send me away. It's so dark already."

Tsume laid a hand on his shoulder, and he reached out to the side clumsily. They embraced, just like in the hospital, and she ruffled his hair. With drying tears, he smiled and clutched to her jacket. The entire crowd was silent, but then there was a warm chuckle from one of the elders. "Hana's just like you, Tsume-sama, ain't she?"

Tsume smiled. "I hope so. I raised her."

"And raised her good! She's got us all convinced now." The old man turned to the clan. "Is there anyone here that don't want tah take the little guy in?" No one answered. Some had tears in their eyes, others warm smiles. The elder turned back. "Nah, I guess not. Welcome to the Inuzuka clan, Naruto!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Hope you like this chapter! DC: I don't own Naruto...yay.**

_**Chapter 3**_

Naruto stared at the opposite wall, straining to hear anything happening in the hallway. He could hear the floor creaking under footsteps and the soft pad of ninken on the wooden floor. A cough or a sneeze would ring out every so often, and he would hear the clunk of a cane often because of the floor he stayed on.

He was staying in the Inuzuka apartment complex as the council wanted. The building itself was three stories tall and had a flat roof with stairs leading up to it inside. Each story had a different makeup of people: the first story housed the elderly and disabled, the second housed families, and the third young couples with no children or young singles.

Naruto was on the first floor, and he was trying to better his hearing, hence his strained listening. His bedroom was bare with only a few clothes hanging in the closet and an alarm clock sitting on a nightstand. He was sitting on his bed, one of the furnishings the apartment came with. It was a one-bedroom apartment, much like his old one. In the combination of a kitchen and living room, a stove sat in the middle of a Formica-topped counter set against the right wall with cabinets above it. A sink was installed to the side of the stove. At the end of the counter sat a refrigerator, bought with donated money from the clan.

The door, which opened into the living-kitchen room, had a flap built into the bottom like every door in Inuzuka compound, and Shiro, tail wagging, walked through it. Naruto heard his panting and patted the bed beside him. The puppy leaped onto the bed and nuzzled the blonde's hand affectionately. Tsume, knowing Shiro and Naruto shared a special connection somehow, chose the black puppy as his ninken. Shiro licked his hand, and the blonde laughed and scratched behind his ears.

"Hey, Shiro. What've you been up to?" he asked. Shiro barked, and Naruto nodded in understanding. "Chasing cats? That sounds fun." He turned quiet, continuing to scratch Shiro, a satisfied look spreading across on his face. Naruto stopped abruptly, and Shiro looked at him questioningly. "C'mon, I wanna go somewhere." Naruto stood cautiously and took small, shuffling steps to the counter. He had already memorized the layout of the apartment, but it didn't hurt to be careful.

He searched the countertop with pats of the hand and eventually landed on a small leash. He smiled and bent down, finding the loop and holding it open for Shiro. The small puppy ducked his head into the leash and licked Naruto's hand, and the blonde pulled the loop closed. He straightened. "How about we go for a walk?" Shiro barked in agreement and led Naruto to the door. The blonde reached out for the doorknob but missed on his first try. He ran his hand along the door until he finally found the knob and opened the door.

He raised his foot up high, knowing a bump in the floor was eminent. However, he misjudged and tripped, falling flat on his face. He heard a gasp and hurried footsteps. Naruto waved a hand airily, pushing himself back to his feet. "I'm fine, just fine. I just tripped." The footsteps stopped, and Shiro butted him in the shin, a habit of his, and Naruto chuckled. "I'm fine, Shiro. Really." He peered at where he guessed the owner of the footsteps would be. He waved his arms, bumping one on the wall. "See? Nothing wrong."

The person gave a worried sigh. "Sorry," she said, the voice a woman's, "It just looked like a bad fall. Are you sure you're alright?" He grinned widely, and that was evidence enough for the woman. "Oh, alright. I'll see you then, Naruto." Her footsteps faded away, and Shiro tugged Naruto toward what he knew was the door leading outside. He again searched for the doorknob and opened the door, feeling the wind brush against his face. He put up his hand instinctively, but his eyes no longer needed to adjust.

Someone greeted him warmly, and he returned it. By the slower, more deliberate footsteps, it was an older person, and the heavy trudge of boots told him it was likely a man. The footsteps went by him, and Naruto was tugged toward the courtyard. He stumbled and fell, and Shiro patiently waited as Naruto stood and brushed himself off. Then the pup tugged him forward again.

As he entered the courtyard, Naruto heard several people call his name, and he looked in the direction of their voices. They called again, and Naruto grinned and walked to them in his shuffling gait. Shiro yapped, and Naruto felt his feet bump into something hard. He reached and felt a rough, wooden surface. He traced its edges, finding both the length and width to be around five feet. The voices again said his name, but now they were close. They were inside this square thing, he thought.

"Hi," he greeted, hands going to the inside of the square, "Whatcha doin'?" His hands meet something gritty but soft, and he realized it was the sandbox set off to the side of the courtyard nearest the kitchens. Cooks would leave their kids here to play while they made dinner. He heard giggling, and he turned his head toward it. "What's so funny?"

"Nuthin'!" It was a little boy, or at least Naruto thought it was. Children's voices were hard to tell gender from, and he hadn't had much practice.

"Then why're you laughin'?"

"Well, you look funny when you touched the outside," explained another voice, a girl's.

"I do?"

"Yep," agreed the boy. Naruto stuck out his tongue in his direction and carefully lowered himself into the sandbox, feeling the sand beneath his fingers. There was another round of giggling, and Naruto cocked his head before Shiro yipped at them.

"Huh? What was that, Shiro?" The pup yipped again. "Well, let 'em think it's funny," he said, smirking at where he guessed the boy was, "but I'm gonna build a better sand castle than any of 'em." There was a collective gasp of about five, and the boy smiled.

"Alright, you're on." And so they began to construct their own castles. Shiro settled on the wood of the sandbox and watched them play contently. The boy had the advantage, having eyes to see different shapes and how parts would come together. Naruto had only his hands, and they carefully watered the sand and melded it into shapes. Several times his castle would fall over, but he was undeterred, reshaping the flaws and recreating the perfect designs. The boy finished well before him and presented his castle proudly, but Naruto didn't notice, too absorbed in his own building.

An hour passed, and Naruto was left alone, Shiro now taking a nap. His hands moved to their own rhythm, outlining the edges and exploring nooks and crannies he made. Carefully, he would place sand into place, and his hands stilled as he waited for it to topple, but when it didn't, he would start a new sand shape. The castle slowly came into shape, an elaborate sculpture with two stories, a moat, roughly hewn windows, and four turrets. A grin spread across his face as he felt the completed object.

"Ha! Take that, smartypants!" he gloated, turning to where the boy had been, but when he heard no response, he frowned. "What? Not gonna say nothin'?" Shiro, by this time awake, grunted and stretched. Naruto looked at him. "Huh? They're gone? Weird, I didn't hear 'em leave." He shrugged. "Must've been scared of my sand-castle-making skills. C'mon, let's go." Shiro nodded and carried the leash handle to Naruto's outstretched hand. "Good boy."

They made their way to the outside gate, and Naruto patted the side of the post to find the latch. He lifted it, and Shiro led the way onto the street. It was just past noon when Naruto found his way into the market district, and he was confused by the cacophony of sounds and voices. It would swell and wane suddenly, and Naruto halted several times to orient himself. He was pushed aside when he did, but he paid it no mind. He tried to recount the steps he usually took to the one place he was trying to reach, but the shoves kept coming.

One hard shove knocked him against the wall, and he shook it off before an idea popped into his head. He crouched down to talk to Shiro. "Hey, you know ramen, little guy? The smell of it, y'know." The black dog cocked his head but then licked Naruto's hand to say yes. "You do? Great! OK, can you try to lead me through here? I'm kinda confused." Shiro licked his hand again, and he took point.

Naruto bumped into people's sides as he more or less ricocheted out of the crowd, Shiro steadily pulling him forward. By the time the crowds had thinned, the blonde had regained his bearings, and he pulled gently back on the leash. Shiro stopped, and Naruto concentrated, discerning different noises: the endless, faint footfalls of the crowd behind, yelling voices of the merchants at their stalls, the clang and clatter of dishes, and the hiss of boiling water.

He focused in on the last two sounds and slowly picked up his feet and trudged toward the source. As he neared, a smile spread across his face as he picked out the smell of ramen, and not just any ramen. Shiro kept in front, but he too smelled it and knew this was where his guardian wanted to go. Soft cotton flaps brushed against Naruto's face, and he distractedly waved them away. Inside, he was greeted by two familiar, warm voices.

"Naruto!" shouted a young girl's voice, "Where've you been?" There was a genial greeting in where Naruto thought the back would be, and he shouted back.

"Hospital," he explained, remembering roughly where the stools were and reaching to touch one. "Had a bit of an accident." He sat, a grin on his face. Shiro barked, not wanting to be forgotten, and the girl Ayame squealed.

"Aw! That's a cute puppy! Can I pet him?"

"Sure, if that's alright with Shiro." She laughed at the name, and Naruto heard a soft, content grunt from Shiro as she scratched him behind the ears. Ayame laughed again and then looked directly at Naruto. Though he couldn't see it, a frown slowly formed on her face.

"Hey, Naruto, what's wrong with your eyes?" she asked.

"Hm?" he asked, feigning deafness and turning toward her, "What was that?"

"Your eyes. They're a different color, and you're looking kinda off from me." The frown deepened. "What kind of accident did you have?"

He squirmed uncomfortably. He really just wanted to eat ramen and go. "Lightnin' hit me."

"That's more than a little accident, Naruto, for cryin' out loud!" admonished Ayame. Naruto heard heavy steps come from the back when she did so, and Teuchi's, the father of Ayame, voice asked,

"What? What's goin' on?"

"Naruto here said getting struck by lightning was no big deal!" Naruto blushed and looked away, and Shiro butted him in the ankle teasingly.

"I didn't say _that_," he defended weakly, "It was a little accident."

Teuchi laughed. "So what's a big accident?"

Naruto looked to where Teuchi's eyes would be. "Me becoming blind. That's a big accident." Ayame gasped as she finally understood, but then the blonde grinned brightly. "But don't worry! Tsume-kaa-san and the Inuzuka clan took me in! I live in my own apartment and eat dinner with a family and even got this little guy right here!" He batted at where Shiro was, and the puppy butted him again. "So no worries!"

Teuchi smiled. "That's good. If anyone can take of you, the Inuzuka can. Good clan. Good customers too." Ayame nodded, and then, remembering that Naruto could not see it, hugged him.

"I hope you do well, Naruto," she said. There was a growl, and Naruto blushed and looked down as everyone mistakenly looked at Shiro. "Was that the dog?"

"No," corrected the blonde, "that was my stomach." She and Teuchi blinked but then laughed.

"Well then we better get you some food!" shouted Teuchi, "Chop-chop!" They busied themselves and quickly produced a steaming, delicious-smelling bowl of miso ramen for Naruto and a bowl of pork for Shiro. Naruto hesitantly handled the chopsticks, but he held them comfortably and slowly picked up a heap of noodles. He lifted them to his mouth and missed. He missed on the second try again, but the third was the trick. Soon the two were chowing down, and Naruto didn't even notice when Kiba and Hinata walked in and sat down beside him. Hinata poked him on the shoulder to try to get his attention, but he didn't respond. Kiba, on the other hand, knew to wait from past experience.

Shiro finished first and allowed Hinata to pick him up and set him in her lap. He barked, and Akamaru barked a greeting from Kiba's pocket. Naruto put down his chopsticks at Shiro's bark and frowned over at him. "How'd you get on the chair, Shiro? You're too short," he asked bluntly. Shiro snorted, and then Naruto noticed the breathing of two people and the strong, wild scent of an Inuzuka. "Eh? Who's there? Hana-nee-chan? Kaa-san?"

"It's me, dobe!" shouted Kiba, "Don't you know your own brother's scent?"

"I don't have a dog nose!" protested Naruto, "I just know what Inuzuka smell like!"

"Oh? And what do we smell like?"

"Wet dog!" Shiro growled nonappreciatively at the joke, and Hinata giggled which Naruto heard. He turned eagerly toward her. "Hinata! When you'd get here?"

"I c-came w-with Kiba," she replied, "I tr-tried to g-get y-your attention, b-but you s-seem t-to l-like ramen a lot."

"Heck yeah! This is Ichiraku, the stuff of legend!" He grinned and gestured broadly, nearly hitting her head. "Nothin' beats it!" He waved his hands, and both Kiba and Hinata had to duck. "Nothin'!"

"Oh, I'm sure!" shouted Kiba, "Now would you quit wavin' your hands around like a maniac?" Naruto stopped, crestfallen but then cheered at the smell of his remaining ramen. He finished it quickly and turned back to his friends.

"So why'd you come?" he asked.

"Why not?" replied Kiba rudely.

Hinata had a softer answer. "W-we're y-your f-friends, Naruto-k-kun. That's wh-why." Kiba grunted in agreement. "We w-wanted t-to make s-sure th-that you're o-okay."

"I'm fine. A little stumbling, that's it." He looked over at Hinata, eyes quite not on hers. "I won't let this get to me, y'know."

"That's what everyone says," muttered Kiba.

"Heard that."

"I-I know y-you won't," said Hinata, "b-but I-I can s-still worry."

He smiled. "Thanks. Not many people would worry about me." He glanced over at Kiba. "I know Kiba here wouldn't," he teased.

"Oh, shut up. Kaa-san does enough worryin' for me and her both." Naruto laughed, and then his expression turned serious. Kiba noticed it. "What's wrong?" He shook his head, but Kiba insisted. "C'mon, you can tell us. We're your friends." This gave him pause, and Naruto let out a sigh.

"Am I ever gonna be a ninja? Is the Academy gonna let me back in?" he asked them and to himself, "I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't be let back in." He looked up at the ceiling. "I can't be Hokage if I'm not a ninja." He sounded hopeless and dejected, and Hinata couldn't help but put her hand on his.

"Don't talk like that," she ordered firmly, "I'm going to h-help you in e-every way I c-can." She paused for a second, but then nodded resolutely. "Believe it."

Kiba patted him on the back. "C'mon, cheer up, dobe. The clan's gonna teach you how to get some dog ears and a dog nose. You'll be back in the Academy in no time! And I bet Hinata's clan has got some cool stuff too!" Naruto looked back at them, and a ghost of a smile floated across his face. It turned corporeal after Kiba said, "And besides, you're Naruto Uzumaki! Ninja or not, you're gonna be Hokage! And I'll be your rival all the way there!"

Naruto felt his eyes water, and he shook his head. "Th-thanks, guys," he said quietly, "This means a lot to me. It really does. No one else has ever...said things like that to me. Thanks." Shiro yipped, and they laughed. "Sorry, we nearly forgot you, little guy. Thank you, too." The black pup made something like a grunt of 'you're welcome', and then Teuchi came back around.

He had heard the heartfelt exchange. "You're welcome, too, Naruto, even if my job is thankless," he joked, and when the blonde whipped around to splutter a response, nearly falling off the stool in the process, Teuchi waved it away. "Just jokin' with you, Naruto. The ramen's on the house by the way. Figured you've had enough goin' on in the past two days." The old man strode away before the blonde could properly react, and Naruto scratched his head in confusion.

"People can be really funny sometimes," he mused. A grin then lit up his features. "But the ramen's free!" He slid off the stool and crouched down, hand out for Shiro to put his leash in. The pup didn't, however, instead looking meaningfully at Kiba and Hinata. Kiba returned the look with a questioning one of his own, but Hinata understood and took one of Naruto's hands, motioning for Kiba to take the other. Naruto frowned. "That's not the leash," he commented plainly.

"'Course it's not, dobe," said Kiba, grabbing his hand, "It's me and Hinata, taking you home. Shiro won't do it for some reason, the mangy mutt." The pup growled, and Akamaru seconded it and jumped out of Kiba's pocket. "And Akamaru agrees with him. Just great." Hinata laughed, and Kiba glared at her. "It's not funny."

"Y-yes, i-it is."

"What happened?" asked Naruto.

"Akamaru wants to walk with Shiro now," explained Kiba, "He doesn't like me no more."

"Serves you right, calling his friend mangy."

Kiba huffed. "Whatever. Let's just get you home." He and Hinata led the way for Naruto through those crowded streets into the slowly sinking golden disk of sun. Hinata didn't stop at the clan gates, and they both led him to his new apartment. Shiro scampered through the flap at the bottom of the door, Akamaru having headed toward the kennels. Naruto reached out and grasped the knob on the first try and opened the door. Inside, he turned toward Kiba and Hinata who stood on the other side of the doorway.

He smiled, and his eyes moved to Kiba. "See you at dinner." They went to Hinata. "See you whenever you decide to drop by, I guess."

"I-I'll be b-by often." The smile grew, and, with a final wave, he closed the door.

* * *

After dinner, Hana went to go check on Naruto. She knocked on the door and waited, ears tuned to hear him shuffling around in the room. When she heard nothing, she knocked again. Again, she heard nothing, and Hana opened the door, knowing it would be unlocked. The Inuzuka never locked their doors, and the practice had rubbed off onto Naruto. She entered and scanned for him, worry nagging on the back of her mind. A familiar bark caught her attention, and she turned to see Shiro, leash around his neck and trailing on the ground, standing in the open door. He motioned for her to follow him and flew up the stairs, Hana in pursuit.

He ascended all the way to the roof and shot through the flap as Hana opened the door to the rooftop, brows creased. The rooftop was brightly lit for the time being, the light coming from lights set into a raised wall that ran around the perimeter of the roof. Shiro barked and bounded toward a figure sitting in the center of the floor, head turned toward the half-moon. Hana sighed in relief as she recognized the blonde shock of hair.

"Naruto, you had me worried," she said, walking up behind him. Shiro settled in Naruto's lap comfortably, and the blonde absently stroked his fur. "How'd you get up here anyway?"

"Very carefully."

She chuckled and sat beside him. "Why'd you come up here?" she asked.

He shrugged, not turning away from the moon. "I don't know. I just wanted to."

She nodded and looked up with him. "Just admiring the moon?" As she said it, she winced, but Naruto didn't notice the statement. He didn't even seem to hear it. He simply sat motionlessly, clouded eyes reflecting the moonlight but not registering it. Hana kept her silence, but then she jumped guiltily as Naruto answered her question.

"I wish, Hana-nee. I wish I could see it like I could when I could see." There was a pause. "Can you tell me what it looks like tonight? Maybe I can see it in my head."

"I don't know, otouto. I'm not good with words-," Naruto tore his eyes from the moon and turned to her, and his expression rendered her protests useless. He looked lost, like a child in the dark woods, but it was more than that. He knew that he would forever be that child, and the woods would forever be dark. An abjectness that had few cures. Hana felt a surge of sisterly affection for the blonde, and she wrapped an arm around him. "Sure, I'll say what they look like. Anything for you, otouto." She searched for the right words before haltingly saying, "It's a half-moon, so you can only see half of it. The Man on the Moon is missing an eye because of that..."

She continued on and on, describing it to the fullest. Naruto nodded again and again, absorbing every detail. Hana went on to describe the stars that she could now see past the bright lights, and Naruto smiled, hand still stroking an asleep Shiro's fur. As she talked about the stars, the rooftop lights suddenly shut off, leaving them in darkness. Hana yelped in surprise, and Naruto furrowed his brow.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing. The lights went out." She stood and offered a hand to him. "You want me to walk you back to your room? It's awfully dark, and there's stairs."

He shrugged. "It's been awfully dark for the last two days for me." Her heart sank, but then Naruto said, "But you've made it just a bit brighter." He reached out and took her hand.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, readers! Let's get going, shall we?**

_**Chapter 4**_

"Follow your nose, Naruto-kun."

"I'm trying." He bumped into a wall and pressed a hand against it. "My nose ain't as strong as yours." Nevertheless, he could clearly pick up on the smell of meat. He swiveled his head to determine which direction the scent became stronger, and he walked in that direction but then bonked his head on a wall again.

"Are you focusing chakra to your nose?"

"I dunno. I think so." He rubbed his head belatedly and followed the wall, hearing Tsume walking beside him. "It's kinda hard to tell." The wall ended, and Naruto was in an open space. "Where's the wall?" Someone took his hand and pressed it against the nearest wall. The blonde smiled. "Thanks, Kaa-san." He sniffed again. The pork scent was stronger, and he carefully picked his way down the long straightaway.

He and Tsume were in the maze used for scent training for clan members and ninken alike. Tsume had walked through it earlier carrying a chunk of cooked meat and then led Naruto to where she had wanted him to start. There were several openings into the maze so someone couldn't memorize a single path, and the walls were seven feet high and five feet apart. The sky was visible overhead, but the walls cast the entire walkway in their shadow. It gave the maze an unsettling feeling, something that Naruto couldn't be affected by.

Naruto sniffed again, and when he reached the end of the straightaway, he turned right, hand never straying from the wall. The scent faded, and he came to halt, concentrating more chakra to his nose. It was an odd feeling, he thought. It was something like a sneeze but without the urge, and then the feeling would pass and the plethora of smells would flood in. Every time Naruto stopped and focused on his nose, he would have to take time and separate them. Tsume said that the trick of doing it instantly would come with time, and Naruto was determined to shorten that time as much as possible.

He turned back around and went the other way. He followed the scent around another corner, but then it faded again, and he cocked his head in question before he backtracked to the last intersection and turned right. Naruto's hand never, ever parted from the wall even with Tsume's gentle but firm rebukes. Every time she tried to pry him away from the wall, he would press himself against it. He was scared, Tsume knew. She could smell it and see it in his bunched features, and it killed her, but he needed to learn how to walk in open space. Either he learned or he failed the admittance exam.

But for now, he could cling to the wall. Bit by bit, she would cure his fear, and he would face that open space of complete, utter darkness. He came to a stop at another intersection, and Tsume sniffed herself and nodded. The braze of meat was near, mostly likely down the left turn of the intersection. Naruto was still for a minute before he first headed to the right, rethought his move, and then turned back to the left. She smiled, and they followed it until the end.

Shiro was curled up and fast asleep near the empty plate which used to hold the meat, a content smile on his features. Tsume made a scoffing sound, and the pup jerked his head and barked in greeting. Naruto broke into a wide grin and bent down to beckon him with a hand. "You ate the meat, didn't you, Shiro?" Shiro made a sheepish face, if that possible, and licked Naruto's hand. The blonde laughed. "I figured. I could smell you when I was lookin' for it."

"You caught that?" Tsume asked in surprise. She had noticed almost immediately after they had started, but she didn't expect a beginner to pick a smell of a live animal, let alone identify it.

"When we were walking down that last part," replied Naruto, picking up his ninken and placing him on his head. He was slightly off, and Shiro scrabbled for purchase for a second before settling. "I guessed it was him. Clever little guy." He smiled at her, and Shiro grunted his thanks for the compliment. Tsume shook her head, a smile on her face.

"Well, I'm damn impressed anyway. C'mon, it's time for braille lessons."

* * *

Naruto, with an encouraging squeeze of the hand from Tsume, knocked on a door on the first floor of the apartments. There was shuffling and the thump of a cane, and an old man leaning on a cane opened the door. His milky eyes reflected the two of them, and he frowned before bowing his head. "Hello, Tsume-sama. And Naruto." He reached out and took hold of the blonde's shoulder. Naruto laughed as the old man ruffled his hair. "Yes, I take it he's here for more lessons?"

"Yep."

"Hm. Alright then." His hand slid from the shoulder down the arm to Naruto's hand and held it. "Come, little one. I hope you still remember the alphabet."

"Yeah, Teru-ji! How could I forget that?" The door closed behind them as Naruto was led to a small desk and chair in Teru's spacious living room. Shiro hopped from his head onto the ground and curled up in a corner. Naruto gripped the chair tightly before lowering himself into it and patted the desk in search for his slate, stylus, and paper. Teru set them before him, and Naruto found the stylus, a short, sharp metal needle with a wooden handle, and let his hand form the correct grip. He slid the paper between the two hinged slats of the slate, an implement that held rectangular cells, each with six hidden indentions under the paper.

"Are you ready?" asked Teru, hearing the rustle of paper into the slate.

"Yeah." The old man nodded and guided Naruto's hand to the first cell.

"First off, let's start with the letters..." Ten minutes later, Teru's hand was running over the bumps that were Naruto's writing, and he nodded approvingly. "Good, good. You know the alphabet very well for the two lessons you've had." Teru licked his lips as he thought. "It might be time for you to start on whole words," he mused aloud.

Naruto brightened. "Really?"

"Basic words, of course. Now, start on the word 'cat'..." Naruto filled out an entire two pages in an half-hour, absorbing the braille easily. Teru hummed with pride and patted the blonde on the head. "Very good. Didn't take you long to make entire sentences, did it? I think it's got something to do with knowing another written language, but that's just my opinion." He chuckled. "I think we're done for the day."

"Can you play that thingy for me?" asked Naruto eagerly.

"Hm?"

"The thingy that makes all that sound. You called it a...pienio? Pyno? Piany?"

"It's a piano," corrected Teru gently, "And, yes, I'll play it for you, little one." Naruto clapped his hands excitedly, and the old man hobbled over to a simple vertical piano and sat in the stool in front of it. He lifted the cover from the keys and placed his long, spidery hands on them. He visibly relaxed, and Naruto heard him sigh in comfort. Then, Teru began to play.

He was following not any music sheet, which were useless to him, but instead bent to whatever whim came over him. His hands moved with slow but undeniable skill, and sweet sounds came from the small piano. Naruto, still in his chair, swayed in tune with the notes, and then Teru, with a small smile, started to quicken the pace. The blind boy grinned and stood uncertainly and tapped his foot, hesitant to do anything else. Eventually, however, the music grew to a irresistible quick tempo, and Naruto laughed and spun wildly, discarding his hesitance. The music enlivened Shiro as well, and he barked and bounded from his spot in the corner.

As Naruto spun, his outstretched hand hit a dog-shaped ceramic piece on a table, and before Naruto could react, it fell to the floor but made no sound. The blonde blinked, not hearing the expected shatter, and he carefully searched the floor with a hand. He didn't even notice that the music had stopped. "It's alright, Naruto," said Teru, having caught the piece, "I've got it." He placed back on the table. "I heard you knock it over and rushed to catch it."

Naruto blushed. "Sorry, Teru-ji," he mumbled guiltily, staring down at his feet.

"It's fine, Naruto. I have plenty of things. I don't mind if one breaks." Teru smiled. "Now I think it's time for you to go." Tsume, having leaned against the wall and listened to Teru's music since he had started, cleared her throat, startling the blonde.

"C'mon, Naruto-kun," she said firmly, "We've got one more thing to practice." He nodded and made his way toward the door, hand touching the wall as he went. Tsume bowed her head in thanks to Teru but then flushed as she realized he couldn't see it. "Thank you, Teru-san," she thanked belatedly, "I hope he's not any trouble."

"Oh, no. Not at all. I think of him like a grandchild." Teru sat back down at the piano stool. "Besides, he appreciates my music. Few do." He then returned to playing his piano.

* * *

The evening sun shone orange while Kiba,now back from the Academy, held a small gong in his hands. Naruto was at the center of a large, circular field and clutched tightly to a short pole, Kiba standing about ten feet away. Tsume and Shiro sat at the edge of the field on a bench, the clan leader watching closely. "You ready, Naruto?" asked Kiba, rubber mallet at the ready. The blonde nodded, and Kiba tapped the instrument lightly.

"Heard it."

"What about now?" Kiba barely tapped it.

"Yep."

Kiba back up ten feet and tapped it like he had the first time. "Now?"

"Still heard it."

Kiba tapped it softly.

"Heard it." Kiba backed up ten more feet and repeated the process.

When he was finally a hundred feet away and barely tapping it was the point where Naruto couldn't hear the gong anymore. Kiba moved back up, both he and Tsume impressed. Tsume got up from her spot and walked over. '_He sure is making quick progress,_' she thought, '_For someone who's never had any kind of sensory training, Naruto-kun has the talent to become a formidable tracker._' She then frowned. '_I wonder if it has anything to do with the Kyuubi inside him._'

She filed that thought away for later investigation, and Naruto turned toward her as she came near. "Kaa-san!" he shouted, "How'd I do?"

"You did damn good, Naruto-kun," she said with a grin, "But now it gets harder." She made ten clones, each holding gongs, and assembled them at the seventy-five feet mark. Kiba hurriedly moved out of the way and toward Naruto, and she nodded before signaling to her clones. One tapped its gong, and Naruto turned toward it. Another one did the same, and he turned toward it as well.

"Faster, Naruto," urged Kiba. The gaps between gongs were becoming smaller and smaller, and soon Naruto was pivoting in place. He spun one-hundred eighty degrees at one point and nearly lost his balance. Kiba reached out to catch him, but Naruto held onto the pole to stop his fall. The gaps were almost gone by now, and Naruto ceased to move his body and instead whipped his head from side and used his free arm to point behind him.

Tsume signaled, and the clones stopped and dispelled. Naruto was breathing hard, and Shiro trotted over to him, whining in worry. The blonde grinned. "I'm fine, Shiro. Geez, you're not my Kaa-san."

"But I am," said Tsume, "Are you fine?"

"Yeah, yeah. Just...out of breath."

"Just from that?" teased Kiba, "I could do that all day!"

"You wanna prove that point, pup?" asked Tsume. He froze in terror before shaking his head vigorously. "Thought so." Naruto laughed at his mother's words, and though he couldn't see Kiba's reaction, he could picture it. "Now let's go. Dinner's ready. I'm starving."

"Heck, yeah," agreed Naruto, "I smell barbeque!"

* * *

Hinata pored over the various clan scrolls in the Hyuuga archives, a dark, cool room with shelves that seemed to go on forever. She had a small flashlight grasped in her hand while the other hand held down a part of an unfurled scroll. Her eyes skimmed the scrawled words, some of them so archaic she barely knew what they meant. But her determination never wavered. This was for Naruto, the boy who had taken the beating for her. The boy who never let anything touch his optimism. Nothing except for his own blindness.

Her grip on the flashlight tightened, but then she relaxed. He was in good hands with the Inuzuka. They accepted him as one of their own, and once that bond had been formed, there was no breaking it. They never betrayed their own. She knew it for a fact.

So now she had her part to do. She reasoned, with the Hyuuga being one of the leading users of dojutsu, that the archives would hold some sort of secret that would help Naruto. She couldn't think of what it could possibly be, though. She was going on hope and a prayer. Right now, she was searching the section dealing with the vision of the Byakugan. It was all facts she knew. Three-hundred sixty degree vision. Ability to see chakra pathways. Ability to 'throw' your vision for miles. The fact that non-Hyuuga could adopt a jutsu like it...

Hinata froze and flipped back to the last page. She dropped the flashlight as she read, and she scrambled to pick it up and trembled in excitement as she finished reading. This could work. It was a longshot, and it required Naruto having attributes that Hinata wasn't sure he possessed. But it could work, and that all the reason she needed.

She rolled the scroll up, shoved it under her shirt, and sneaked from the archives.

* * *

Hana and Tsume stood outside the Inuzuka compound wall, looking at the spray-painted graffiti that covered a small but noticeable portion. It was childishly derogatory, like a twelve-year swearing in curses they failed to understand, but who it was aimed at was what raised the pack leader's and her daughter's choler.

_Kill that bastard Fox!_

_The little bitch deserves to suck it and choke!_

_The Inuzuka and the Fox brat are breeding together!_

Hana could still smell the perpetrators, and she wanted nothing else than to hunt them down and unleash her ninken on them, but Tsume warned her off of it. It didn't stop her from growling lowly in her throat as she read more of the hateful language, however. Tsume's face was impassive, a sign of her growing anger.

"What are we going to do, Kaa-san?" asked Hana through clenched teeth.

"Nothing," replied her mother dryly.

"What! Why?"

"Because if we do something, this will escalate."

"Not if we find the ones who did this!"

"Then others will come. And then more after them. And more after that."

"They'll be scared, though! They wouldn't dare!"

"Exactly. They're scared. They've been scared of us, and now since we've taken in Naruto-kun, they believe they can move against us."

"Why?"

"Because, my pup, cowards are courageous once they have numbers and hated focused on one place." Tsume snorted. "I was warned about this on the day of when I argued for Naruto. Why didn't I listen to him, dammit?" Her voice was almost rueful, and Hana turned on her, aghast.

"Are you regretting taking Naruto-kun?" she demanded.

"No. I'm regretting not listening to that damn man, even though he wasn't talking to me." She stared up at the graffiti. "This is definitely more than I could imagine. And this is just the beginning."


End file.
